Man is made by his belief, as he believes so he is

                                        -Geeta Shlok

Lying on the holy land, surrounded by blood, one would expect the sounds ringing in his ears would be that of the wailing of people who lost their loved ones. However, the jingling of anklets and laughter are the only sounds Dhrishtadyumna could hear as his mind shows him the sight of his smiling sister and nephews when they received him in Indraprasth days before the wretched game of dice.

Bright rays of the sun landed on a handsome face amplifying its glow leaving the onlookers in awe of his perfectly sculpted figure. A bright smile split his face as his feet land on the ground. His eager eyes search for the excited shrieks and giggles that erupted the moment he entered the palace gates. A half-hearted shush from his twin quieten the shrieks but the occasional giggles still escape.

"Welcome to Indraprasth Rajkumar Dhristadyumna! I hope you had a pleasant journey." initiates the king of Indraprasth, Yudhishtir.

"Yes Maharaj. Thank you for having me here." replies the handsome prince waiting to finish the formalities and meet his nephews. It felt like it has been eons since he last saw them.

As the pleasantries followed, the youngest of the Upapandavs pulled on his mothers dress unable to contain his excitement. Chuckling at his antics, the queen raises a questioning brow at him. Rocking on his heels in excitement, little Shrutakarma questions

"Can I go to uncle Dhri now or are there any other formalities left?" wide innocent eyes of the little prince look up at his mother awaiting her response and hoping that she denies the second question.

Laughter erupts from every elder present as many pairs of amused eyes land on the blushing kid who hurries to hide behind his mother. Fighting off a smile, Draupadi nods at her children giving her acceptance to meet their uncle.

Dhristadyumna opens his arms wide for the kids and stumbles back when they rush to him hugging with all their might. Picking up the younger ones in his arms, he enters the palace listening to the tales that the kids have in store for him.

"What did you bring for us? Last time, you said you will get a surprise for us when you visit again." asks little Shrutasena once they settle down, earning a warning from his mother.

Ignoring the glare from his sister, the crown prince reaches over to a chest and pulls out a bundle of gifts thereby disrupting the relatively peaceful atmosphere of the room. The gleeful giggles and babbling of the scions of Panadavas fill the morning.

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Strolling through the corridors, Dhrishtadyumna halts at the study of the eldest of the five brothers. The crown prince's eyes zero on the king who has his eyes on the open book in his hands but thoughts else where. Knocking the door, the fire born prince announces his presence.

"I hope I am not disturbing you Maharaj." inquires Dhrishtadyumna. Upon receiving the king's denial, he continues, "If you wish to fool someone, you should try opening some random page in the book. One can only stare at the title for so long before deciding on continuing."

The son of Lord Yama chuckles at his little slip, snapping the book close. Settling in the chair across the king, the eldest fire born says, "There seems to be something bothering you. If you do not mind, I am all ears. A fresh perspective, perhaps, might help."

Pondering over the offer for about a minute, Dharmaraj starts, "I am worried about the trip to Hastinapur. Something does not seem right to me. Sahadev felt it too. Uncle Vidur warned us not to go. However, I am bound by my promise and righteousness."

His brother in law's words get the gears in Dhrishtadyumna's mind running. When he initially received a letter from his twin regarding the trip, he could not believe it. How could Duryodhan, a person who was angry for letting a brahmin participate in his sister's swayamvar, let an insult to him and his father slip by so easily. Added to this, the letter stated that Hastinapur's prince intended to honor his sister. An honor for an insult seemed too good to be true. His sister had similar doubts and decided against taking her youngest child on the trip. He hoped that his and his twin's fears are in vain and the event is truly to honor the fire born queen. Feeling another presence nearby, he looks up to find his twin joining them. Sending a strained smile her way, he puts forward his views.

"I cannot give you false hopes that the princes of Hastinapur will plan no harm for you. However, all five of you are able warriors and you yourself are the epitome of righteousness. Whether you accept it or not. I trust you all to take care of each other and my sister. Grandsire Bheeshm and Guru Dron are also present to handle the situation if things go down." replies Dhrishtadyumna.

Nodding in agreement, Draupadi says, "I agree with Bhrata. I trust you all and our dharm to protect us there. Since we have already sent our acceptance, we can only hope for the best and be cautious."

Not wanting to worry them further, the crown prince remains quiet keeping his suspicions to himself. He was still not convinced that the king took the right decision agreeing to the game of dice. The thought of the game sent an eerie feeling down his spine. But, like every other time he told himself, It is nothing. Everything will be fine. If only his words were true..

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The morning sun welcomed the crown prince of Panchal to the sight of hurrying helpers and distant shouts of instructions. The day of the travel to Hastinapur has arrived and irrespective of how meticulous each plan is, there are always few last minute details that have to be taken care of. Amidst the sea of rushing people, the eldest fire born found his way to the common hall where his family has gathered. The sight in the room amused him a lot. Draupadi and Subhadra running behind the enthusiastic kids instructing them to be on their best behavior while Bheem sneaked few laddoos off a tray sharing a couple with nearby children.

Even the calmest of the kids, the replica of Yudhishtir, Prativindhya has a wide smile on his face eager to meet his grandmother and uncles. Smiling at the energy in the room, Dhrishtadyumna thanks the gods for Duryodhan's choice to not let his feud with his cousins effect his bonding with the kids. Grabbing a running Shrutkarma, he asks,

"Where is this little prince running off to? You have to stay here with me." Frowning at his uncle, the prince replies, "Put me down. Mata is forcing me to agree to drink milk. If she catches me, I will end up agreeing like every other time."

Chuckling at him, the crown prince asks, "Now, what is wrong in drinking milk?" Slapping his head lightly, the son of Arjun says, "Milk is so tasteless and yucky. Please put me down. Mata is closing on us. Put me down or run."

Laughing at the threatening tone at the end, the fire born leaves the child making him sprint immediately. Joining his eldest brother in law, he inquires if the elder one feels any better. The half smile he received answers his query.

"Duryodhan treats the kids as his own. He cares for them. I don't think he would plan anything that harms them. So, maybe this trip won't be so bad." he says hoping to comfort the king.

While Yudhishtir loved his cousins and believed they still had righteousness in their hearts, he isn't naive to consider that his eldest cousin let go of such an insult before the entire gathering so easily. However, Dhrishtadyumna's words sure helped in soothing his worry. He would never forgive himself if he is the cause of any harm to his children.

After the mini storm in the room settled, Subhadra and Dhrishtadyumna bid farewell to the group and returned inside to catch a breath unaware of the huge storm that is brewing in Hastinapur. Unlike the previous one, this one will change their lives. That if it is for the better or for worse, is yet to be known.

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"Why couldn't I accompany my brothers and parents?" asked Shrutakarma in a low voice.

The crown prince's heart breaks at the question and the innocent sad face of his nephew. Though he knew it was for the best and the toddler is better away from the scheming king of Gandhar, he did not know how to convey this to the said toddler.

"It is because I missed you so much and I have spent more time with all of your brothers compared to you. So, I wanted to spend some time with you. Why? Don't you want to be with me?" the fire born decides to tell the partial truth and attempts to divert the child and maybe himself too.

It was the day of the game of dice and the queen's twin is worried about the outcome of the game. Maybe he can get his mind off it by playing with his nephew. Subhadra joins the duo smiling reassuringly at the elder prince.

Nudging the sad kid, she says, "How about we play a game of hide and seek or you could show me the wooden horse your uncle got you?" thereby effectively cheering up the child.

Running to his chamber, he drags his toys to the room with the help of a helper while Subhadra assuages Dhrishtadyumna in the meanwhile. Dragging his uncle to the toy, he requests his uncle to play with him while firing questions at the fire born.

"Why did aunt Shikhandini not come with you? Didn't she want to meet us? What about grandpa?"

"Slow down son. They both very badly wanted to meet you and your brothers. But they had to stay back due to some work." answers the crown prince.

"Oh! When -" the child's question stops mid way as his eyes widen looking at the door. Following his gaze, Dhrishtadyumna sees a worker talking to Subhadra. About a minute later, Subhadra turns to the child narrowing her eyes.

"Did you finish your milk Shrutakarma?" she asks walking towards the child.

On being caught, the toddler nods negatively while shifting closer to his uncle planning his escape. Subhadra sighs in irritation and leaves to get the glass of milk for the child. As the fire born tries to convince the boy, he hears things clattering outside. Grabbing his sword, he instructs the child to stay put and leaves the room only to run into a panting and scared Subhadra.

"Bhrata Dhrishtadyumna! Draupadi jiji returned alone from Hastinapur. She is injured very badly and has locked herself in her room."

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